What keeps me busy?

Greetings from VA. I've been quite behind on my blog lately. I thought I would take a few minutes to update my few, buy loyal, fan club members.

I have been traveling quite a bit, mostly for work. In January, I found myself out of town 10 nights. February will total 7 nights. It's not too bad, but definitely more than usual. The good news is I don't have anything planned starting in March, although that will change. I don't mind business travel too much, but I feel like I spend too much time obsessing about whether to carry on or check baggage. And deciding on what fits in the 1 quart clear plastic bag and what doesn't.

I have discovered a new hobby. It is something I've always enjoyed, but just recently learned how much. I like to cook and I like to bake. I have several cookbooks that I have received as gifts and a few that I have bought myself. Just recently, I realized that when I get a cookbook, I actually read it. The whole thing. I make a mental note of what I want to try. When a good friend gave me the Ultimate Cookie Cookbook, I read it before I went to bed. Half way through, I thought, who reads a cookbook when they are in bed? I've had this deep yearning to develop a specialty and now I'm working on cookies. Each weekend I try to make time to bake a new kind whether or not I think I will like them. (Although I have started with ones that I think I will like.) I've never really liked nuts or oatmeal or lots of things, but who cares. I'm baking cookies and I'm trying new things. I take them to work, send them into Sean's work, or when I meet friends out, I take a sample. This way I can enjoy the baking aspect but I don't feel inclined to eat every single delicious, fattening, or potentially crappy cookie myself! It's been fun. So far I've enjoyed everything, but I've only baked 4 types. With any luck, maybe others will like them and buy a couple dozen for their own parties.

I've also been baking homemade bread. I've discoverd with my Kitchenaid mixer (with bread hook), it's not really that hard.

I've talked about what keeps me busy, but what keeps me perpetually tired is the fact I can't get a good night's sleep. Lonestar is party animal at night. He whines and cries, runs around the bedroom, scratches the side of the mattress, terrorizes Alamo and and is an all-around nuisance. I need to lock him out of the bedroom... I get that this is easily solved. We are are yet to do that because the crying outside the door and the vigorous shaking of the door from a large orange paw is just as annoying.

Alamo has lost quite a bit of weight lately. A diet success story! Well, until you see how much goes in and how much comes out. We are proceeding with thyroid tests. The symptoms seem likely but she is still fairly young.

We are starting to work out the details to replace our back fence. One of our posts broke and the fence has quite a lean. We live in a townhome development so the key is to take care of this before we get cited by the HOA (again). We are accepting volunteers.